SPORTS BRIEFS

Agencies

Mon, Aug 19, 2013 - Page 18

BASKETBALL

Lin begins three-day camp

Visiting NBA star Jeremy Lin began a three-day basketball camp in Taipei yesterday, during which he will act as chief coach while teaching skills to talented local youngsters, as well as promoting the sport. “First of all, I want you guys to have a lot of fun,” said Lin, the first American-born NBA player of Taiwanese descent, at the opening of the camp. Houston Rockets point guard Lin also invited his teammate, forward Chandler Parsons, to coach at the camp, which is being attended by 60 college and high-school students. Lin said he and Parsons would help the trainees identify their strengths and weaknesses. “I want you guys all to really focus on your weaknesses,” the 24-year-old said. At the end of the camp, Lin said he hopes the participants can identify their weaknesses and take home the drills taught in the camp, while continuing to improve their skills. Parsons, 24, who arrived in Taipei on Saturday, said he is “excited to coach” and watch the participants grow as players.

BASEBALL

Taiwan claim junior title

Taiwan won the Little League Baseball Junior World Series title after routing Rio Rico of Arizona 11-2 in Taylor, Michigan, on Saturday. The Taiwanese team, composed of players from Hsin-Ming Junior High School in Taoyuan County, won the title with an undefeated record. In the final, neither side scored during the first two innings, until Taiwan garnered four runs on five hits and a walk in the third. Taiwan widened their lead to 9-0 in the fifth inning with a series of hits. Rio Rico scored a two-run homer in the sixth, but could not reverse the score as Taiwan built on their lead with two more runs in the same inning, thanks to three hits and fielding errors by Rio Rico. Huang Wei-chih, manager of the Taiwan team, praised starting pitcher Fang Jung-tse. Huang said his players were shorter in height than their US counterparts, but more skillful, which contributed to their victory.

BASEBALL

Tejada given 105-game ban

Kansas City Royals infielder Miguel Tejada, a former American League Most Valuable Player, has received a 105-game suspension for a failed drugs test, Major League Baseball said on Saturday as the sport continued to be plagued by a doping problem. Six-time All-Star Tejada tested positive for an amphetamine, which was in violation of Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, the statement said. Earlier this month, Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees, baseball’s highest paid player and one of the sport’s greatest hitters, was suspended for a record 211 games for his involvement in one of US sport’s biggest doping scandals. It is the third-longest non-lifetime suspension handed out behind the 211-game ban handed to Rodriguez and a 119 game ban given to Steve Howe in 1992. Rodriguez is appealing his ban, but there was no indication if Tejada intended to do the same — he is currently on the 60-day disabled list due to a calf strain.

YOUTH GAMES

Taiwanese claims silver

Taiwanese 14-year-old judoka Lin Wan-chu won a silver medal on Saturday in the under-44kg category at the Asian Youth Games in Nanjing, China. It was the first medal won by Taiwan in the international event that opened on Friday and will run through Saturday. Lin, a junior-high student, was the youngest competitor in her division. Lin was also a silver medalist at last year’s Asian Junior Judo Championships. The Asian Youth Games are held every four years.

CRICKET

Northants win T20 title

David Willey starred with both bat and ball as Northamptonshire thrashed Surrey by 102 runs to win English county cricket’s Twenty20 final at Edgbaston on Saturday. Willey, the son of former England batsman turned umpire Peter Willey, smashed 60 off just 27 balls with six fours and four sixes as Northamptonshire piled up 194-2 in an innings reduced by rain to 18 overs. The left-arm fast-medium bowler then took four wickets for nine runs, including a hat-trick to end the match, as Surrey were bowled out for just 92 with Northamptonshire winning their first major trophy in 21 years. “This is once in a lifetime. I will probably never play like this again so I should probably quit while I’m ahead,” Willey told Sky Sports. He was only promoted to open after Kyle Coetzer injured a wrist in the seven-wicket semi-final win over Essex. However, his big-hitting was followed by half-centuries from captain Alex Wakely (59 not out) and Australia’s Cameron White (54 not out), who shared an unbroken stand of 107 from 57 balls.

CRICKET

Fit rules Umar out of tour

Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Umar Akmal is out of this month’s tour to Zimbabwe after he suffered an epileptic fit while on duty for Barbados in the Caribbean Premier League. Sarfraz Ahmed has been called into the tour squad as his replacement. “Sarfraz has been included in place of Umar who has been called back from the West Indies for medical checks,” a Pakistan Cricket Board official said. The official did not elaborate on Umar’s medical problem, but a family member who declined to be identified said that the player was on a flight to Jamaica when he had his epileptic fit. Opener Imran Farhat has also withdrawn from the squad, citing domestic problems. He will be replaced by the uncapped Shan Masood.

SAILING

New Zealand earn win

Mishaps plagued the first race in the America’s Cup challenger finals on Saturday, as a broken daggerboard forced the Italian boat to drop out seconds after the start, allowing New Zealand to sail alone to win even after two crew member were washed overboard. Support boats rescued the sailors from the choppy waters as Emirates Team New Zealand continued sailing the course around windy San Francisco Bay with a torn trampoline faring. Averting disaster, New Zealand captured the first point of seven needed to win the Louis Vuitton Cup finals. The winner will sail against defending champion Oracle Team USA next month for the world’s oldest sporting trophy.

CYCLING

Lopez claims stage

Sky Pro Cycling’s David Lopez won the sixth stage of the Eneco Tour of the Low Countries on Saturday as Dutchman Tom Dumoulin claimed the leader’s jersey. Spaniard Lopez held off fast-finishing Zdenek Stybar and breakaway companion Maciej Paterski to win by two seconds with a group of five riders, lead by Dumoulin, another two seconds further back on the 150km stage from Riemst to La Redoute. Argos-Shimano climber Dumoulin’s fourth-placed finish helped him move into an eight-second lead over Czech Stybar with Ukrainian Andriy Grivko up to third at 23 seconds. Dumoulin had started the day in third place overall, but compatriot Lars Boom struggled over the day’s three climbs, falling out of contention, and previously second-placed Sylvain Chavanel was distanced, dropping to seventh overall.